Socket



April 15, 1941; M. ALDEN 2,238,151

SOCKET Filed May 3, 1940 I l a I I i l L Patented Apr. 15, 1941 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE SOCKET Milton Alden, Brockton, Mass.

Application May 3, 1940, Serial No. 333,086

8 Claims.

My invention relates particularly to sockets for holding lamp ends andthe like having two spaced apart prongs on at least one end.

One object is to provide a socket construction for holding one end of adouble ended lamp tube or the like.

A special object is to provide a construction of this character which issimple, easy to operate and safe.

Another object is to provide a construction capable of carrying heavycurrent without danger of short circuiting or grounding.

Another object is to provide a construction of this character in whichthe electrical contacts are so housed at all times that there issubstantially no danger of anyone coming in contact with a live part.

Another object is to provide a simple form of construction into whichthe terminal prongs may be readily inserted and rotated smoothly andeasily.

Another object is to provide a socket for a ro-- tatable tube or thelike in which there are positive stops for limiting the rotation withoutlikelihood of damaging the parts.

In carrying out the preferred form of the invention two oppositelydisposed spring contacts are mounted in an insulating housing formed oftwo parts. A rotatable support for the tube prongs or the like ismounted in the housing. This support is provided with a transversegroove or passage and one edge of the body is provided with an entrancegroove to guide the prongs into the open circuit position.

A number of important details of construction will be more fullydescribed hereinafter.

Fig. 1 is a front view of a socket embodying one form of my invention,the support being shown in the open circuit position.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same and showing indotted lines the end of the tube or the like with its prongs.

Fig. 3 is a rear view of the front part of the body, the rear part beingremoved.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the socket.

Fig. 5 is a rear view of the body of the socket, the contacts andsupport for the tube being omitted.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the back plate.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of the rotatable support.

Fig. 8 is a. perspective view of the support.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a modified form of contact member.

The housing is formed of a main portion I 0 and back plate ll suitablyconnected by rivets or screws such as l2, I2. Inside of the body is acavity or chamber [3 in which is mounted one or two spring contactmembers l4, l4. Each member has a foot portion I5 carrying a bindingscrew l6. ed to slide into a groove formed by projections I8 and I9. Theother side of the foot is provided with an arched portion 20 which fitsin groove 2|. The edge of the housing is provided with a. groove 22 forthe conductor leading to the binding screw I6. Between the two springsI4, I4 is a boss 23 which separates the two springs and provides a seatfor a fastening device 12'.

The supporting member 24 has a circular rim 2'5 rotatably mounted in anopening 26 in the front of the housing. The rear of the support may alsobe provided with a circular boss 2! which is supported in an opening 23in the back plate I I. The support is provided with flanges Hand 33coacting with adjacent walls or the housing to position the supportv inthe housing.

The front part of the support 24 is provided with a groove 3| adapted toreceive the prongs of the tube or other device which is supported by thesocket.

The body of the housing is provided with an entrance groove 32 leadingto the groove 3| in the rotatable support.

The size of the support 23 with respect to the tube to be supported issuch that when the two prongs 33, 33 are inserted into the groove in thesupport one of them will be located in the bottom of the groove withrespect to Fig. 1, and the other will be located in the upper part ofthe slot a corresponding distance from the center of the support. Theupper part of the housing is provided with a. rear flange 34 and sideflanges 34' on opposite sides of the entrance groove 32. The rear flangeserves to guide the prongs of the tube into the entrance groove 32, andalso prevents longitudinal displacement of the tube. The side flangesprevent one of the prongs sliding over to the side of the housing andbeing twisted of! unintentionally.

The support is provided with projections 35, 35 which are adapted toengage the stop 36 in the housing so as to limit the rotation of thesupport.

The ends of the contact arms H, H are preferably flared outwardlysomewhat in the conventional manner so as not to interfere with theentrance of the prongs of the tube, and they are provided withconventional recesses or pockets 3'! into which the prongs 33 areadapted to fit when the tube is in the closed circuit position.

The support is also preferably provided with One side ll of the foot isbent up and adaptprojections 38 which in a way correspond with thepositions of the pins 33 when the parts are in the open circuit positionso as to engage in the recess 31 and hold the support resiliently in theofi" position of Fig. 1.

Instead of the form of binding screw shown herein, it should beunderstood that the conductor wires may be secured to the contact armsin any other suitable manner as for instance by inserting the wiredirectly in the foot of the contact arm and clamping, soldering orwelding same in place. Or the contact member may be provided with atongue or tab for gripping the insulation so that the insulated leadwill have strain relief to minimize the danger of disconnection of thewire. Such a construction is especially desirable to prevent movement ofthe wire adjacent the welded point. It is also desirable that the wirebe kept straight from the point of welding so as to keep the wire frommoving at this point.

To insert the tube or lamp base, it is necessary simply to slide theprongs into the grooves 32 and 31 and then rotate the tube and itssupport 90 degrees.

It will be seen that when the tube is in the closed circuit position thespring contact arms are completely guarded against accidental contactsince there is no opening which leads directly to them.

Although I have shown the supporting button as mounted entirely withinthe housing, it should be understood that part of it might projectsomewhat beyond the adjacent face of the housing or the front flange maybe mounted on the outside. So also other means might be provided forpivoting or providing a bearing for the rear end of the support,

The form shown however is simple, rugged, relatively inexpensive andsubstantially fool-proof.

The same construction can be made to accommodate prongs with heads orenlarged tips by suitably shaping the cross section of the grooves 32and 3| in which event when the prongs are inserted into the support andthe support is rotated the prongs can not be withdrawn except byroprojection 38 while the portion 31 of part' M" is adapted to engagethe corner 38 of flange '30 of the support whereby the support is firmlybut yieldingly held in position. Part I4" tends to shift the supportuntil the shoulder 38' engages the portion 31'.

I claim:

1. A socket of the character described comprising an insulating housinghaving a groove atone edge and a tube supporting member rotatablymounted in the housing and provided with a transverse groove and aspring contact member mounted in said housing alongside of said supportand adapted to be engaged by a prong when inserted into the groove insaid support and said support is rotated, saidtransverse groove being ofa width not substantially in excess of the diameter of a prong, wherebysaid transverse groove guides said prong until it seats at the bottom ofthe groove, and said tube supporting member when rotated carrying saidprong in an arc about the axis of rotation of said supporting member soas to cause electrical engagement between said prong and said springcontact member.

2. A socket having a housing with a cavity therein, spaced springcontacts in said cavity having pocket portions, a support for atwopronged tube or the like rotatably mounted in the cavity so as to bemovable between an on and an ofi" position, oppositely disposedprojections on the support adapted to be moved into said pocket portionsfor holding said support resiliently in off" position while at the sametime holding said spring contacts out of engagement with the prongs ofsaid tube, said support being formed with a groove for receiving andsupporting the prongs of the tube on a plane intersecting the plane ofthe projections whereby rotation of the support is adapted to bringeither the prongs or projections into direct mechanical engagement withsaid pocket portions.

3. In a socket having stationary contact members, a support for atwo-pronged tube including a body portion having a shank and an endflange, said shank and flange being formed with a continuous grooveopening on opposite sides of the shank for receiving and holding theprongs of the tube in a position so that portions of said prongs projectthrough said groove exteriorly of the shank at opposite sides thereoffor direct mechanical engagement with said contact members to close thecircuit and oppositely disposed projections on the shank positioned on aplane intersecting the plane of the prongs when in the groove forengagement with the contact members to hold the support and contactmembers resiliently in engagement in open-circuit position, said supportrotating and carrying therewith the tube prongs held thereby, so thatafter said projections leave said stationary contact members, said tubeprongs will directly and mechanically engage said contacts inclosed-circuit position.

4. In a socket, a housing, a spring contact member at each side of saidhousing and formed with a pocket portion, a support for a twoprongedtube including a body portion having a shank and an end flange, saidshank and flange being formed with a continuous groove opening onopposite sides of the shank for receiving and holding the prongs'of thetube in a position So that portions of said prongs project through saidgroove exteriorly of the shank at opposite sides thereof for insertioninto and engagement with the pocket portions of the spring contacts toclose the circuit and oppositely disposed projections on the shankpositioned on a plane intersecting the plane of the prongs for insertioninto and direct mechanical engagement with the inner surfaces of thepocket portions of the spring contacts to hold the support and contactsin engagement in open-circuit position.

5. In a socket, a housing with a cavity therein, a spring contact memberat each side of the cavity, a rotatable support for a two-pronged tubein said cavity, said prongs being supported for rotary movement intodirect mechanical engagement with the contact members uponrotation ofthe support and a slot and stud connection between the housing andsupport for limiting the rotation of the latter.

6. A socket of the character described having a housing with a cavitytherein, spaced spring contacts in said cavity, means for supporting thecontacts in the cavity, a removable support for a two-pronged tuberotatably mounted in said cavity, means for guiding the support intoproper position in the cavity, means for holding the s port in thecavity in open-circuit position, means for holding the support in thecavity in the closedcircuit position, means for guiding the prongs ofthe tube into position in the support and means for preventin accidentalturning of the tube relative to the support or housing when only oneprong is in the support, said rotatable support carrying said prongsinto direct mechanical engagement with said contacts, when in theclosedcircuit position.

7. A socket for a tube end having spaced prongs, comprising a housinghaving a cavity with a groove leading into one side thereof, a pair ofspring contact arms with a space 'between them in line with said groove,a tube support rotatably mounted in said housing and having a transversegroove which at one angular position of the support is in aiinement withsaid first mentioned groove to receive the prongs of a tube and whichgroove upon rotation serves to carry said prongs therewith in arotational movement until said prongs are brought into direct mechanicalengagement with the contact arms in the housing. both of said grooveshaving a width not materially in excess of the diameter of a tube prong.

8. A socket for a tube end having spaced prongs, comprising a housinghaving a cavity, spaced contacts in the housing, said housing having agroove opening into one end of the cavity in line with the space betweenthe contacts and an opening in the face of the housing in which the tubeend prongs may be rotated when inserted through said groove, saidhousing having projecting portions on opposite sides of the entrance tosaid groove extending farther away from the entrance to the groove thanthe space between the prongs of the tube so as to prevent the rotationof the tube unless both prongs are inserted into the groove.

MILTON ALDEN.

